Brandon Hayato Go began cooking Japanese food at age 15 in his family's restaurant in Southern California. While continuing in the family business for 25 years, he travelled to Japan regularly to train in various disciplines of Japanese food during his 20s and 30s, beginning with izakaya cooking, then soba, and finally in Michelin-star kaiseki restaurants, before opening Hayato in Downtown Los Angeles in 2018. In its first year of operation, Hayato was awarded a Michelin star, Brandon was named one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs in America, and nominated for the James Beard award as Best Chef in California.
Amadai with Crispy Scales and Leek “Somen Noodles”
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STARTER4
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timing45MIN
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preparation time35MIN
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Cooking time10MIN
INGREDIENTS
Whole Amandai
Large scallion or leek
500ml light fish or vegetable stock
½ tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger juice
2 tbsp potato starch
METHOD
Step 1
Filet the Amadai leaving the scales intact (or any fish with edible scales - most fish scales are not edible even when fried, so ask your fishmonger). Lightly salt both sides of the filet, and let rest in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to let the salt penetrate.
Step 2
Cut a large scallion or leek into a very fine julienne, slicing across the grain. Soak in cold water until ready to use.
Step 3
Gently season 500mL of a light fish or vegetable stock to taste with a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice. Reserve approximately 75mL of the seasoned stock in a small bowl and mix in 2 tablespoons of potato starch (or tapioca starch) to create a starch slurry that you will add back into the stock. To thicken the stock: Bring the seasoned stock to a light simmer in a small saucepan, and slowly add the reserved starch slurry to the simmering stock while stirring rapidly.
Step 4
Add the julienned scallion to the sauce, and gently heat for about 5 minutes or until soft.
Step 5
Skewer the fish with bamboo skewers (to prevent it from curling) and deep fry for 90 seconds at 180 degrees C, rest the fried fish on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Ladle the scallion sauce onto a pre-heated plate and place the fried fish on top of the sauce.
Pairing Notes
When considering the onion and Krug from a Japanese chef’s point of view, I thought it was important to play off the sweetness of a leek while keeping the flavors gentle and elegant in order to allow the wine to assert itself. I love eating fried food with Champagne, and the crunchy scales of the fish add the perfect textural component to make the dish start as a playful snack food but still satisfy as a bonafide seafood dish.
